


Healthy Competition

by old_and_new_friends



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Ba Sing Se, Lu Ten (Avatar) Lives, M/M, The Jasmine Dragon (Avatar)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-23
Updated: 2020-08-23
Packaged: 2021-03-06 15:48:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,530
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26071408
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/old_and_new_friends/pseuds/old_and_new_friends
Summary: Lu Ten and his husband, Biju, opened a restaurant in the Upper Ring of Ba Sing Se, only for a competitor to arrive called the Jasmine Dragon. When Lu Ten and his husband go to investigate, they get more then they bargained for.
Relationships: Iroh & Lu Ten, Lu Ten & Zuko, Lu Ten/Original Male Character(s)
Comments: 25
Kudos: 411





	Healthy Competition

**Author's Note:**

  * For [crime_lord_amidala](https://archiveofourown.org/users/crime_lord_amidala/gifts).



> All credit for this idea goes to [ ikkii ](https://ikkii.tumblr.com/)
> 
> You can find the post that inspired this [ here](https://ikkii.tumblr.com/post/627182038796075008/once-more-i-can-say-anything-about-lu-ten-and-you)
> 
> Yes I got permission to write my take on this idea before writing this.

Lu Ten woke with the sun rising through the window of his home in Ba Sing Se. His husband, Biju laid asleep next to him, curled in on himself in his traditional fashion.

They would need to move soon, as sunrise was when their restaurant opened in order for those rushing to work or University to get in a quick meal and a nice cup of tea.

Lu Ten let his husband sleep a moment longer, running his hand through the other’s hair and smiling as his husband unconsciously tilted towards him. His heart was filled with warmth as he watched the other man’s deep peaceful breathing. Biju’s back was completely exposed to Lu Ten and he couldn’t resist the temptation to dropped a kiss on his husband’s warm tan shoulder.

Sometimes it was hard for Lu Ten to reconcile the life he had five years ago with the one he had now.

Five years ago, he was a Prince, second in line for the throne behind his father, of the Fire Nation. He supposed technically he still was a Prince, though his country probably thought him dead at this point. Lu Ten found it hard to care.

He had never been supportive of the war but he had wanted to make his father proud, so when his father’s campaign against Ba Sing Se started, Lu Ten joined him. On one hand he regretted that, he should have stayed at home and never besieged the city. On the other hand, it brought him to Biju.

Biju had been working in a small medic ward with his father in the Lower Ring of Ba Sing Se. Lu Ten had been brought there, by those gathering the wounded on the outside edge of the wall. Lu Ten still to this day wasn’t sure if he had been found without his uniform on, or if those who did find him were kind enough to bring him to safety as an unknown.

Biju had helped him heal, and worked him through countless hours of physical training to get his left leg back in some semblance of working order. His still couldn’t straighten it fully, nor could he firebend with it, but he could walk, which worked for him. Those long days of working himself to near tears alongside Biju, had brought the two closer together.

Biju had shared his dreams with Lu Ten. He wanted to own a restaurant, but instead worked alongside his father, as starting a business in the Lower Ring was hard and ever making it to the Upper Ring was a pipedream. He wanted to be married one day, but not to the woman his father kept pushing him towards. He wanted the peace the city promised, but had yet to deliver.

Lu Ten in turn shared his own hopes. He wanted the war to end, with peace across the world, not through the victory of the Fire Nation. He wanted his father proud of him, without him having to compromise his beliefs. He too wanted to be married one day, to someone he loved greatly and not through the arranged marriage he felt hanging over his head.

From there they grew closer, sharing their first kiss in the dead of night, once Biju’s father had gone home. They slept together for the first-time weeks later, tucked up in Biju’s room away from the medic ward. They shared words of love the day Lu Ten was discharged from the ward and facing the whole of Ba Sing Se on his own.

Biju told his father he quit, and decided to chase his dreams with Lu Ten, to his father’s dismay.

Lu Ten told Biju the truth of his heritage, and hoped with everything in his heart that Biju wouldn’t leave him.

Biju wasn’t pleased, but ultimately understood that Lu Ten was choosing to leave everything behind to be with Biju.

They struggled for a long time, getting their first restaurant off the ground, but they managed. It took what felt like hundreds of odd jobs from Biju’s corner and hours of Lu Ten’s time working as a bouncer for three different bars along the same street for months. Lu Ten had been groped and beat and spit on, once even peed on, while Biju nearly lost his right eye, and had gained calluses so rough they were still present on his hands to this day.

With a building finally paid for in full, Biju’s amazing cooking and Lu Ten’s tea making skills, the restaurant finally took off, raking in enough money that after three painstaking years, they raised enough for a shop in the Middle Ring. Though they scarified a lot of things, new clothes or shoes, a wedding certificate they both dearly wanted, never mind the ceremony, and sometimes even food, for their savings.

They named it, and any restaurants that followed, Biju Lu’s. Biju had ben quite proud of his name idea and Lu Ten decided not to burst his bubble, even though Lu Ten really didn’t care for the name.

Their restaurant in the Middle Ring had been even more popular and with the people there having more money, it took way less time to raise their funds. They were still very far away from their goal, though, when a noble man, a self-proclaimed talent collector, offered them their own restaurant in the Upper Ring. Entirely theirs, he would merely pay for the building, give them the property for life, and they would do all the labor.

Lu Ten spotted the man’s game right away, he wanted things in his corner of the world, where he could get to them, without having to interact with those he considered lesser. The offer stung Lu Ten’s pride but the joy that lit Biju’s beautiful brown eyes at the idea had him keeping his mouth shut.

His boyfriend, at the time, was ecstatic and Lu Ten wasn’t taking that from him.

They married a month after moving to the Upper Ring. There wasn’t a ceremony, but neither of them really had anyone to invite, so an elopement was fine by both of them.

Their restaurant had been up and running in the Upper Ring for a little over half a year now, and Lu Ten couldn’t be prouder of his husband, or happier at the life they built together.

Lu Ten bit his lip before gently waking his husband up.

There was still the one problem. The same man that pulled Biju and Lu Ten into the Upper Ring had struck again, leaving the two men struggling with the new competition. Biju never mentioned his fears of losing everything, but Lu Ten knew they were there.

Biju’s eyes fluttered open and he smiled softly as he looked up at Lu Ten.

“Morning,” he said, pulling Lu Ten down into a soft kiss.

“Morning,” Lu Ten replied when they pulled away. “Time to start the day.”

Biju sighed and stared at the ceiling. “Not out for the count yet,” he said, pulling himself from the bed and getting dressed. It was something Biju said every morning now, and it broke Lu Ten’s heart to hear.

He watched his husband dress, before standing to do the same.

They walked down stairs together. Biju trotting back to the kitchen to warm the breakfast pastries he had made the night before, then starting on cooking and warming breakfast. Lu Ten moved to the front, cleaning and resetting the tables before throwing the door open in invitation.

He joined his husband in the kitchen after that, preparing the stuff needed for tea making. He dropped a kiss on the top of Biju’s head as he walked by. Biju smiled softly at him, as Lu Ten walked to the front counter and waited.

He waited a while, a lot longer then he ever had to, for the first guest to come through the door. The rest of the day passed in a similar manner, with less people then ever coming through their doors. Lu Ten’s heart sank as the dinner crowd, usually their busiest time, didn’t even fill the room.

“Biju,” Lu Ten said, placing the bowl his husband just handed him back on the counter. “You know that doesn’t look right.”

“What does it matter?” Biju said bitterly, throwing his spoon down on the counter and dropping his head into his hands. “We should have stayed in the Middle Ring.”

“No,” Lu Ten said, wrapping his arms around Biju’s soft middle. “This was your dream, please don’t give up on it just because things are hard now. The newness of this other place will blow over and when it does, we will be fine. Don’t give up now.”

“My dream is turning into a nightmare,” Biju said, “but you remain the silver lining of my life.”

Lu Ten huffed slightly but smiled. His husband was always a flirt at the worst times.

“It’s not a nightmare yet,” Lu Ten said, “Come on, lets get this dinner rush served and out the door, then if there’s still time we can go spy on our new competition.”

Biju perked up at that and Lu Ten returned to the dining hall with a new bowl that looked much more presentable to the patrons.

Lu Ten waited but after an hour and a half of no new customers, he had to give up. The dinner rush was over, an hour earlier than it’s ever been. Lu Ten shut the doors and with a swipe of his hand the room fell to darkness as all the table candles went out.

He moved to the kitchen, frowning as he took in his husband.

Lu Ten pulled him into his arms.

“You can cry,” Lu Ten said, burying his face in Biju’s soft black hair. Biju kept breathing harshly into Lu Ten’s neck for a long time before the tears finally came, soaking the shoulder of Lu Ten’s top. Lu Ten squeezed Biju tighter to his body as tears slid down his own face.

He had to keep believing they could make it through this. They worked so hard to get here, they couldn’t just lose it.

Biju took a deep breath and released a heart-breaking sob, that shook his whole body against Lu Ten’s.

“I know,” Lu Ten said. “I know and I love you so much.”

“Everything was going so well,” he said, his tears making his words indistinguishable.

“It was,” Lu Ten agreed, rocking Biju back and forth.

When he finally calmed down, Biju pulled back and looked up at Lu Ten pleadingly.

“Is there still time to spy on the Jasmine Dragon?” he asked.

“If they are open,” Lu Ten replied, rubbing tears off of Biju’s face.

Biju washed his face off and the two locked the door to their home slash restaurant. 

It wasn’t very far, which was troublesome, and it was still open. Light spilled out of the tea shop onto the street.

Lu Ten turned to Biju to see how he was feeling. Biju looked as concerned as he did but tugged him forward into the shop anyway. They were directed to sit wherever they wished.

Lu Ten looked down at the menu on the table.

It was mostly teas with only a few foods here and there to supplement the drink. It didn’t make any sense to Lu Ten, as his and Biju’s restaurant was the opposite. They served food and if you wanted Lu Ten could make you some tea to go with it. The tea had to be phenomenal to drive people to such a low selection of meals.

“Welcome, to the Jasmine Dragon, what do you want?” their server asked. The tea had to be other worldly with that kind of service.

Lu Ten looked up and nearly blanched before regaining himself. Their server had a large burn scar over their left eye and ear.

“Ah, ginseng tea, if you have it,” Lu Ten replied stupidly.

“What tea shop doesn’t have ginseng,” their server replied blankly.

Lu Ten wasn’t sure if their server was being rude or if they were just really confused by Lu Ten’s comment. “The tea if you would and a small bowl of noodles, or make it a large one, we can share it. Bi, what to you want to drink?” Lu Ten asked.

“A spiced tea will do,” Biju said, sliding the menu away, having barely looked at it.

Their server quickly grabbed their menu up and marched off to the kitchen.

Lu Ten rolled his eyes.

“Pleasant,” he said, reaching across the table for Biju’s hand.

“This place is really, nice,” Biju said. “It looks like it belongs in the area.”

“So does ours,” Lu Ten said, squeezing Biju’s hand. “I made sure of it. Honestly, who has more class then a Prince?”

“Where do I start,” Biju joked, smiling across the table. “You did good with our restaurant, but maybe we should change it up a bit?”

Lu Ten shook his head. “The last thing we need to do is dump a lot of money into pointless renovations,” Lu Ten countered.

“Right,” Biju sighed. “I don’t know what to do and I really don’t get it. They are nothing like our restaurant, why are they such strong competition?”

“Here,” their server said, setting their bowl on the table. “Tea will be out soon. Your order is taking a while.”

Their server had the audacity to stare at Lu Ten like he was the reason service was so slow. Lu Ten kind of wanted a talk with this kid’s parents because they raised a brat and a half. Either this kid had no clue how to talk to people or he was being intentionally antagonistic.

Lu Ten took up a pair of chop sticks, ignoring the glances the nobility of Ba Sing Se was giving him for sharing a bowl with his husband. They had spent the last four or so years with food insecurity, everything insecurity really. They were use to sharing by now and with their livelihood on the line it was best to be more cautious with money currently. These people didn’t understand that, and while Lu Ten knew he was once one of them, those memories seemed so very far away.

Their server finally set down their tea, this time not even saying anything to them. It was probably for the best.

“The noodles are okay, but they aren’t grand,” Biju said, lifting his drink to his lips.

Lu Ten nodded. He wasn’t just saying it because he was rather spoiled on his husband’s own mouthwatering food, something that had him in a constant battle with his waistline. The noodles were just noodles. The kind someone might make at home but not the type you went out to eat for.

Biju set the cup down and stared at it.

“Well?” Lu Ten asked, glancing at his own cup.

“No offense, but this tastes better then anything you’ve ever brewed,” Biju said.

Lu Ten frowned at his husband. “No, I’m kind of offended at that,” Lu Ten said, lifting up his ginseng tea to taste.

Lu Ten was thrown back to when he was six years old, and stealing his father’s tea, only to scrunch up his face and spit it out over the table. He was ten, and having a small dinner with his father before he shipped out on another campaign, tasting the tea for the first time since he was six. He had made an odd face but drank the whole thing. He was sixteen and made it for himself, as he missed his father more than anything. It tasted off, though not bad. He was twenty-one and sitting in a tent with his father as they talked battle strategies. He lifted the cup of tea to his lips, it was his father’s favorite, and somehow it had become his own. It was the last drink he had before his life changed forever.

Lu Ten set the cup down and looked around the tea house. He spotted the server and watched them, completely missing the concerned look his husband gave him. The server turned and Lu Ten’s eyes narrowed in on their face.

His hair was much shorter, and the scar threw Lu Ten off greatly, he wondered where it came from, but looking at only his right side, he could recognize exactly who he was looking for. 

Zuko.

Which meant, somewhere back in the kitchen was Lu Ten’s father.

Lu Ten’s heart picked up as he turned back to his husband.

“Are you okay?” Biju asked.

“Yes, fine, this is just, very good tea,” Lu Ten said, blankly.

“Are you sure, Lu?” Biju asked.

“No, give me a moment,” Lu Ten said standing with his tea cup, and moving back to the kitchen.

He was stalled at the door by his cousin.

“Customers aren’t allowed back there,” Zuko said.

“I think I’m the exception,” Lu Ten said. “Has it been so long you don’t recognize me? I’ll be honest it took a bit for me to recognize you.”

Zuko narrowed his eyes before they blew open wide, the eye with the scar tissue stretching in a manner that looked painful. “Lu Ten?” Zuko whispered.

Lu Ten nodded and Zuko moved out of his path in stunned silence.

“You taught me how to brew tea when I was little, but it still tastes no where near as good as yours, what’s your secret, old man?” Lu Ten asked, walking up behind his father.

His father turned around in confusion, before his face went blank and he dropped the tea pot in his hands.

“Lu Ten?” he whispered. “You’ve been here this whole time?”

Lu Ten nodded as his father reached forward to pull him into a back breaking hug.

“How?” he said. “I thought you were dead.”

“The rounded me up with the Earth Kingdom wounded by accident and healed me,” Lu Ten explained. “By the time I was better, there was little point to returning home. We don’t get much outside news here, but it was enough to know I was better off here. I never meant to make you think me dead.”

“Zuko,” Lu Ten’s father called, “close the shop, server those here but do not let anyone else in.”

“Yes, Uncle,” Zuko responded, seeming to come alive under his Uncle’s request.

“Tell me everything,” his father said, sitting Lu Ten down at the small kitchen table.

So, Lu Ten did, including his hesitance in the war from the beginning and his husband currently sitting in the front room.

“You are married?” His father asked, completely ignoring Lu Ten’s sexuality, even though Lu Ten had never told him before now. “He’s here, can I meet him?”

Lu Ten nodded and lead his father to the front room where Biju sat nervously.

“You aren’t going to murder us, are you?” Biju asked. “Why’d everyone but me get basically kicked out?”

“Biju,” Lu Ten said, ignoring his husband’s dramatics, “this is my father Iroh, dad this is my husband Biju.”

“It is a pleasure to meet you and quite clear that my son has exceptional tastes,” his father said, pulling Biju into a hug.

“That’s my cousin, Zuko,” Lu Ten said, pointing Biju towards Zuko in the corner.

“A cup of tea made you realize your father made it, so you ran off for a reunion?” Biju asked.

“Yes,” Lu Ten replied simply.

“Right,” Biju answered. “So, the Dragon of the West, who tore through the outer wall of Ba Sing Se, is in the city?”

“Yes,” Lu Ten repeated.

“I’m tired,” Biju said.

“I am sorry,” Lu Ten’s father said. “My son has explained what has occurred between our shops, if you are not opposed, I may have a solution?”

Biju raised a brow. “Oh?” he asked.

“We are all family, yes, we can open one shop together if you would like and be co-owners,” he offered.

Lu Ten looked to his husband for guidance. Lu Ten didn’t see an issue with his father’s offer, but it was ultimately Biju’s dream.

Biju looked to Lu Ten in question but seemed to get the decision was his to make.

“I’d like that,” Biju said.

They never got around to it, as soon after, something happened making Lu Ten’s father flee the city and the Jasmin Dragon was left empty.

Ba Sing Se fell. Biju held Lu Ten’s arm tightly that first night that soldiers marched through the streets and they watched silently from the doorway of their restaurant.

Biju Lu’s stayed open through it all, though they were both fearful of the Fire Nation occupation.

A few months later, as his great-grandfather’s comet soared overhead, Lu Ten joined the chaos his father was leading in the streets to liberate Ba Sing Se. The two who had once brought its walls down for the Fire Nation, now bringing them down for the Earth Kingdom.

The dust eventually settled and Biju Lu’s closed and in it’s places a new restaurant opened called Lu Ten’s Dragon.

Lu Ten should have known better then to let his husband and father pick the name.

**Author's Note:**

> I had to write this. It wouldn't leave me alone. I hope you all enjoyed this!


End file.
